The Accidental Protagonist: Book Review

a book open flat on the table, seen from the bottom, with the pages sticking out in the shape of an arc

Endearing, controversial, genuine or stereotypically mean, a relatable character is key to any book plot. It helps if the protagonist’s life is eventful and glamorous, or if her job is somehow awe-inspiring or tinged with a hint of mystery. Add a drop of mischief and intrigue, some eavesdropping and world-changing encounters, and the magical spell is cast. Perhaps partially for that reason, […]

How to Land a TED Lesson

As I write this post, my TED Lesson on How Interpreters Juggle Two Languages at Once has been viewed nearly 800,000 times. In an animated video that is barely five minutes long, the lesson sheds light on an insanely stressful occupation most people know nothing about. The TED lesson makes viewers aware of the key […]

KUDO on Interpreting: A Reassuring Message

Cloud-based interpreting (a.k.a. RSI) is the biggest technological innovation in interpreting since the Nuremberg Trials. Granted, audio quality, microphone design and headset ergonomics have all improved markedly since World War II. But despite the modern technology, a microphone is still a microphone. And the headsets used in Nuremberg don’t look drastically different from the ones […]

Challenge Results are In. And They are Telling

Wondering about the results of the NTIF Interpreting Technology Challenge? Wonder no more! As it turns out, the weather was a bit too cold for ice-cream anywhere else in Helsinki, on November 24, 2017. But the temperature at Scandic Paasi Hotel was mounting fast as contestants and voters gathered for NTIF’s first Interpreting Technology Challenge. Six of the most […]